Newcastle Disease Virus as a Vaccine Vector for SARS-CoV-2

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Shrivani and Samal have prepared  a review on the potential use of NDV as a vector for developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The authors have reviewed studies that show the potential of NDV to serve as vector for vaccines against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. The authors have also summarized studies on NDV safety, previous studies in non-human primates, infections in humans, clinical trial, NDV immunogenicity, and genetic stability of the constructs.  

English/style/grammar is sound, only minor polishing is necessary.

Use seminal papers, there are several occurrences where non-seminal papers have been used - e.g. genome organisation.

Lines 8-9: update numbers

Line 14: well-suited properties

Line 20: put abbreviation of COVID-19 in parenthesis on first occurrence.

Line 21: update numbers

Lines 31-32: provide S-gene size

Line 47: which pathogen?

Lines 45-51: The passage assumes that an NDV-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine will have these characteristics while there is no evidence to support these.  Please re-phrase for clarity and that this has yet to be demonstrated.

Line 61: sentence seems incomplete

Line 76: provide all NDV sizes

Lines 78-79: the L-protein is the polymerase. While N and P have roles in replication and transcription, it is incorrect to say that "N, P and L are the viral polymerase"

Line 80: W has not been defined.  There are 2 Ws in the gene order.

Lines 132-135: Where? It sounds this is valid for the whole world.  Here and elsewhere - specify where the studies have been conducted, how the samples where collected, were the samples representative, proper statistics.

Line 152: which host?

Line 152-156: similar comment to above - any evidence of that the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 will be expressed in native conformation?  Re-word that this is potentially and needs to be studied and confirmed.

Lines 155-156: there is no evidence that the vaccine will be protective - reword

Lines 187-191: these statements need to be supported by at least a couple of references.

Lines 192-193: fix style

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for reviewing our manuscript entitled " Newcastle disease virus as a vaccine vector for SARS-CoV-2. We submitted the revised manuscript and a response to your comments. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Siba K Samal

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors made a good analysis on the suitability of exploring NDV as a potential vector vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. It is totally acceptable and valuable for publication in its present form as a mini-review.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you very much for reviewing our manuscript entitled " Newcastle disease virus as a vaccine vector for SARS-CoV-2". We have submitted the revised manuscript. Thank you.

Best regards

Siba K Samal